61
They sang psalms praising the Lord, repeating the refrain: "The goodness of the Lord and his glorious presence are with all Israel forever."
1
62
All the people blew trumpets and shouted with all their might, praising the Lord because the Temple was being rebuilt.
63
Some of the older priests, Levites, and heads of clans had seen the first Temple, and when they came and saw the building of this Temple, they cried and wailed.
64
Others who were there blew trumpets and shouted for joy.
65
The crowd blew the trumpets so loud that the blast could be heard far away, but no one nearby could hear the blast of the trumpets because the sound made by those who were crying and wailing was so loud.
66
The enemies of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin heard the sound of the trumpets and came to see what it meant.
67
When they learned that those who had returned from exile were rebuilding the Temple of the Lord, the God of Israel,
2
68
they went to Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the heads of the clans and said, "Let us join you in building the Temple.
69
We worship the same Lord you worship and we have been offering sacrifices to him ever since Emperor Esarhaddon of Assyria sent us here to live."
70
Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the heads of the clans told them, "We don't need your help in building the Temple for the Lord our God.
71
We will build it ourselves, just as Emperor Cyrus of Persia commanded us."
72
Then the people who had been living in the land began to harass the Jews; they cut off their supplies and kept them from building.
73
These people plotted, agitated, and rioted so much that they prevented the Temple from being completed during the reign of Emperor Cyrus. The work was halted until Darius became emperor, two years later.